


Betrayal is Sometimes Sweet

by TheRedPaladin101



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Betrayal, Blade of Marmora Keith (Voltron), Blood and Torture, Cuddle Pile, Fluff, I think?, I was bored and wanted to write about Keith and Narti, Mind Control, Narti is alive lol, Would being put in a trance count as mind control???, because I'm a fanfiction writer and I say so, but not a lot, fuck it, it's low-key implied Klance but not really, let me live, they all cuddle in the end ahhh, this is a shit story, wtf are tags
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-24
Updated: 2018-03-24
Packaged: 2019-04-07 08:10:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14076639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRedPaladin101/pseuds/TheRedPaladin101
Summary: But then he couldn't. Keith frowned, noticing his muscles going slack. He stiffened when he felt a hand grace his jaw from behind, the other settling on the side of his head. In a flash, everything felt soft. He blinked and looked around lazily, his whole body feeling at bliss. He felt like he was floating even though he could feel the ground under him. He could still hear, but nothing made sense.





	Betrayal is Sometimes Sweet

**Author's Note:**

> or in other words - an excuse to write a story about Narti and Keith
> 
> Not kidding, but this idea came up from two things - One, I follow a now unactive blog on Tumblr all about Keith ships and at one point there was a talk about him and the generals. Two, I was reading a Lance comic and at one point Narti grabbed him and put him in a trance. 
> 
> Now, for my love of Keith, and missing Narti, this piece of shit story was written! I swear, this isn't because I ship them or anything, but mostly because I wanted to write a story about Narti, but also about Keith, so I just combined the two wants
> 
> This story also probably doesn't make sense in some parts... I don't know, it took me over a week to write and I might've repeated or missed something, so who knows... 
> 
> Also - BIG WARNING - these characters are OC like damn I lost interest in making them how they would be in the show at some point (and by them I mean Kova and Narti) But this is fanfiction so who cares
> 
> Now, uh... enjoy this most random story I've ever created!

Keith, for the first time in quite a long time, was afraid. 

The Blade of Marmora captured a distress signal not to far from their base. Voltron was too far out in space to get there, so Kolivan decided the team go ahead and check out the signal. Keith wasn't too happy with having to miss his daily nap - since he barely gets sleep in the first place - but went without any complaint. He didn't necessarily have a choice in the matter. Kolivan was the boss here, and no one was really allowed to have a choice in decision making. 

The planet wasn't that different from Earth's moon, but it had a ring around its middle. Keith flew down in a cruiser with Vrek and Ilun, watching Kolivan fly another ship down towards the other half of the planet. As far as their charts could see, there were no Galra inhabiting the planet. Kolivan was cautious, however. For all they know, some sort of dark magic could be covering up the Galra on the planet. 

Ilun landed the cruiser easily, causing dust from the planet's surface to swirl and fly everywhere. Keith pulled up his hood, his mask flashing onto his face. Vrek jumped out first, blade out at the ready. Once the coast was clear, the three made their way across the deserted plain towards the center point between the two cruisers they brought down. The distress signal was underground, leading down to where the last survivors of this planet held valuable supplies. 

Kolivan met them there, discovering the tunnel hidden under a collection of rocks. Ilun went down first, crawling her way through the narrow dirt tunnel almost going straight down. Kolivan followed after while Keith and Vrek stayed back.

Keith sighed and sat down on one of the rocks, checking his scanners for any activity. Vrek fiddled with his blade, his head tilted back to watch the skies. Keith didn't know Vrek well, nor Ilun. Keith only really know Kolivan at this point. It's not like Keith could just chit-chat with whoever he wanted when he wanted like in Voltron. 

Dread swirled through his chest at the thought. He hasn't seen the others face to face in awhile. Watching the others through video screens and little clips of them from their shows through his wrist screen doesn't fill the hole in his chest. Keith won't ever admit it out loud, but he misses the team. He misses Shiro's comforting words, Pidge's tech obsessed mind, Hunk's warm hugs, and even Lance's constant bickering. 

In the Blade, Keith couldn't have any of that. No one to bicker with. No one to go to when he was close to having an anxiety attack. Hell, the food sucked in the Blade. Keith missed Hunk's cooking. He missed those random couch cuddles Pidge or Shiro would give him whenever everyone was relaxing in the lounge. Keith sighed heavily and looked up at the sky with Vrek, beginning to count the stars in his line of view. 

Vrek snapped his head up and stood up, drawing out his blade. Keith looked at him in confusion, but gasped when the ground under them rumbled. Vrek shoved Keith aside, flying back when the ground exploded and shot him into the rocks. Keith stumbled and caught himself, shielding his head from the flying dirt. He could hear Kolivan yelling something from the tunnels, but his ringing ears couldn't make any of it out. 

Vrek shot forward, his blade flying and almost hitting the figure in the dust. The air was knocked out of Keith's lungs when the figure's tail slammed into his body, almost knocking him into the hole in the ground. Ilun jumped out from it, crashing her blade down against the figure. It snatched her sword before grabbing her by the neck, chucking her into Kolivan - who had just crawled out of the tunnels. 

Keith jumped to his feet, swinging his blade with a shout at the enemy. He could see now it was a Galra - a half-breed. For a moment, he thought he recognized the Galra, but then its tail slammed against his back and knocked him back to the ground. His spine tingled with pain, gasping and snatching his blade again. 

The Galra snatched Vrek right as he went for a strike, slamming its fist into his head. Vrek's mask shuttered and disappeared. The Galra's muscles went lax before it chucked him back into the tunnels. Keith kicked its legs out from under it, slamming his blade against its chest armor. It barely cracked, and he was snatched by its tail. Keith choked, being lifted into the air by his neck. The Galra swung and hit him in the head, its own face looking at the ground. Keith's mask cracked and disappeared, his hood slipping off his head from the tail around his neck. 

He gasped for air when he was dropped, looking for his blade with blurry eyes. Kolivan was shouting again, along with Ilun. He could hear them saying something along the lines of "Get back to the cruisers!" and "It's a trap!" Keith shook his head, bracing his legs to stand and run. 

But then he couldn't. Keith frowned, noticing his muscles going slack. He stiffened when he felt a hand grace his jaw from behind, the other settling on the side of his head. In a flash, everything felt soft. He blinked and looked around lazily, his whole body feeling at bliss. He felt like he was floating even though he could feel the ground under him. He could still hear, but nothing made sense. 

The hand against his jaw was gentle; soothing. Keith couldn't make sense of anything but the person behind him. The hand moved from his jaw to his waist, wrapping around his stomach and pulling him against the owner. The ground disappeared from under him, and now he really did feel like he was floating. Keith's eyes couldn't focus on what he was seeing right in front of him. He felt so relaxed, like nothing was wrong with the entire situation. 

_Sleep, little one,_ a soft voice filtered into his head. Keith couldn't tell who it was. He didn't recognize the voice. Panic rose in his chest, but it disappeared when the hand against his head moved to his forehead instead. _Sleep for now._

Keith didn't know why or how, but he felt safe and content. The noise around him blocked out, and he was fine with it. His head lolled back, eyes drooping and sliding shut. 

Just like the voice told him, he fell into a blissful sleep that he hasn't had in a long time. 

 

Everything still felt soft and squishy when Keith came to, but not as much as earlier. He felt relaxed still, but he was able to focus now. Lifting his head off the cool floor of the cruiser he was in, he noticed it was the same cruiser he flew in while heading for the planet where the distress signal came from. He groaned and turned onto his back, hearing a scarp of metal against metal when he did. Propping himself onto his elbows, Keith felt his heart sink when he saw a short metal chain keeping him locked to the wall of the cruiser.

"What the..." Keith began, looking up at the pilot seat. He couldn't see the Galra who captured him, but he could see another smaller figure sitting atop the chair, staring right at him. Keith stiffened and moved to grab his blade, but found it wasn't there. The creature - which looked a lot like a cat - growled lowly at Keith, long ears twitching when he moved. Keith glared at the creature, matching its stare.

It jerk its head around when the figure in the seat moved. Keith blinked and scooted back, glancing around for his blade. He gritted his teeth, spotting it on the other side of the cockpit - just out of his reach. The Galra moved out of the seat, stepping out from the front to face Keith. His throat tightened. Where has he seen this Galra before?

"Who are you?" he croaked out, pulling himself to his feet. The Galra in front of him was probably over a foot taller than him, no eyes present on its face. He frowned, catching sight of the cat jumping onto the Galra's shoulder, purring lowly. The Galra 'watched' him for a moment, stock still. Keith's pupils practically shrunk when it reached forward to touch him, jerking back out of its reach. He almost tripped from how short the chain is. The Galra cocked its head, hand hovering where Keith's head was. 

In a flash, Keith was pinned against the wall. Panic flared in him, struggling in the Galra's grip on his wrists above his head. Keith gritted his teeth, flinching when the hand came back to touch his jaw. His skin tingled and he widened his eyes, his muscles going slack once again. The Galra leaned back a bit. Keith's head flooded with flashes of Lotor's old generals. He fought two of them, and the other two he saw at some points. The one Hunk and Pidge fought stood in front of him now - the realization causing dread to flow through his veins. 

_Narti and Kova,_ the words echoed in Keith's head. He was yanked out of his trance, panting and sliding down the wall to his knees. His body was shaking. He tried clutching his hands together for grounding, but it didn't work. The Galra - Narti - stepped back to give him space. Keith should've known he recognized her. Narti was one of Lotor's generals before they betrayed him for some unknown reason. Keith knew the four Galra were with the Empire now after attempting to turn Lotor in before he escaped to Voltron. 

"Why did you take me?" Keith spit out the first question that popped up in his head, glaring up at Narti. She wasn't looking directly at him. Her cat - Kova - was, however, staring right at him silently. Keith clenched his jaw, pulling himself to his feet shakily. He couldn't stop shaking. "What do you want with me?"

Narti's mouth seemed to be sewed together. She couldn't speak. It scared Keith more than he thought it would. Narti held her hand out in question, her face finally looking at Keith. He glanced down at her hand and took a step back till he was pressed against the wall again. Narti didn't move to touch him. She lowered her hand and turned back to the pilot seat, sitting down. Kova watched Keith for a little longer before trotting after Narti, hopping onto the back of the seat. 

Keith swallowed thickly, his shaking starting to subdue. He looked down at the chain at him feet. Unlike most Galra locks, this one was a lot like the chains on Earth, except this glowed pink. If he tugged on the chains, the metal pieces would pull apart slightly before snapping back together. He huffed in frustration, sitting back down on the ground. His blade was strapped to the wall on the other side of the cockpit. Even if he could somehow stretch this chain as far as it could, he still wouldn't be able to reach it. 

He glanced at the pilot seat again. If the generals were working with the Empire, Keith was as good as dead. The team can't rescue him this time because they don't know he's here. The Blade might not disclose this information to Voltron due to Kolivan's leadership. Knowing the team, they'd come after Keith as soon as possible, and it might put them in danger. 

The only way Keith could survive is if he got out on his own, and that was a fat chance at the moment. 

 

Hours have passed in complete silence; save for the cruiser's engine. Keith kept fiddling with the chain, finding it warm unlike regular metal chains back on Earth. He took a deep breath and made sure Narti wasn't looking at him before pulling his foot away from the wall. The chain stretched out the farther he moved, which wasn't far. His leg shook a bit and he had to hold his ankle to keep his foot in place.

The chains stayed connected from thin strings of energy that made them glow in the first place. He puffed softly and struggled to keep his foot in place, reaching down with both hands to try and pull two of the metals apart. 

He didn't feel how hot the chain became until after he grabbed them. Keith gritted his teeth and grabbed one side of the chain with his whole hand, hearing a low hiss of his suit burning. He shouted in pain and yanked his hand away, his foot shooting back in place so the energy strings disappeared. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes, grasping his hand in pain.

He yelped when his injured hand was yank away from him. Narti was kneeling in front of him, holding his hand out in front of her by his wrist. Kova was perched on her shoulder, staring at his hand curiously. The suit had burned open to allow the chain to touch his skin, burning the skin and causing blood to seep out like a cut. Keith tried to yank his arm back. "Let go of me!" 

Kova looked up at Keith's face. Narti's fingers around his wrist sparked and glowed. In a flash, Keith lost all focused and passed out. 

 

Keith's hand felt numb when he woke up again. He forgot for a few moments what even happened. Sitting up slowly, Keith lifted his hand up to find it wrapped up tightly with bandages - his suit cut off at the wrist to get to the wound. He frowned, flexing his fingers. 

When he looked up, he jumped slightly at the sight of Kova watching him from the pilot seat. He tilted his head when Keith looked at him, tail curling around his paws. Narti was still in the pilot seat, not seeming to notice Keith was awake. He glanced down at the chain, huffing and holding his hand in his lap. 

Kova meowed lowly and hopped down from the seat, trotting over to Keith. He pulled his knees to his chest, but Kova weaved around him to his hip, peering up at Keith with curious eyes. He purred and prodded Keith's bandaged hand with his nose, ears twitching and flattening back against his head. Keith furrowed his eyebrows, hesitantly lifting his hand up for Kova. 

Keith didn't realize Narti had gotten out of her seat until she kneeled in front of him once again. He watched her warily, pulling his hand away from Kova. "Why did you heal me?" he asked quietly, narrowing his eyes at the Galra. He didn't understand the situation. First, the Galra kidnapped him and seems to be taking him to the Empire, and usually, kidnappers for the Empire don't take care of their victims. Yet, she took care of his hand when he burned it. She even put him into a forced sleep so it didn't hurt. 

Narti wasn't looking directly at him again. She held out a hand to him like earlier. Keith took a moment to think - maybe this was the only way she could communicate. That voice he heard whenever she touched him must've been hers, or something like hers. Her mouth never did open, so this would make sense. 

Keith pushed all the arguments into the back of his head, focusing on instead wanting answers. He held out his own hand hesitantly, glancing down at Kova to see him follow his hand. Narti gently grabbed his hand, claws scratching lightly against his skin. She avoided touching his palm, bringing her other hand to hold his wrist. Unlike the last few times, Keith didn't immediately fall into a trance feeling. Her touch seemed to loosen on him, his arm going slack a bit. His shoulders followed next, then his neck and back. Keith wanted to sink into the feeling, but he didn't let his eyes close. 

_You're the red paladin, yes?_ the same voice filtered into his head. Keith could hear a hint of a female voice, but it still sounded weird to him. He frowned at the question, "No, I'm part of the Blade of Marmora," he answered without thinking. Then again, he could barely think now. Keith wondered briefly if he should've agreed to this, but the thought vanished. _Are you Keith?_ "Yes," he answered again, feeling his eyes droop. He felt too relaxed. His words were coming out in slight slurs. "I am Keith..." 

Kova noticed and batted at his arm. Keith blinked and looked down at him for a moment before the voice came back. _I was ordered by Haggar to bring Keith, the red paladin, in._ Keith could hear the hint of confusion in the flat voice. He shook his head to try and clear his thoughts and answer with as little truth as possible, but the words were already tumbling out. "No no, I used to be the red paladin. I became the leader for a little while so my friend took my place in the red lion."

Both Narti and Kova's heads tilted at once. _That's possible?_ Keith nodded slowly, training his eyes on her claws against his exposed skin. He panicked for a brief moment that she could suddenly slit his skin open just to torture him - she was working for Haggar, right? The thought was pushed out of his head, but another took its place. Why was Haggar wanting him? What was she planning on doing to him? _Don't panic. I will not hurt you, Keith._

Now Keith was confused again. "I'd expect Haggar's minions to torture victims..." he muttered, narrowing his eyes. Narti's shoulders shook a bit, and it took Keith a moment to realize she was laughing in his head. _Why would I torture you?_ Keith frowned a bit, tilting his head to the side. "I don't know... Most Galra in the Empire aren't that friendly." Her shoulders shook again. _I have no reason to harm you._

"Why does Haggar want me anyway?" Keith asked, watching Kova hop onto his lap. Narti rubbed his wrist, uncurling his fingers to look over the wound. _I do not know._ "Well, that's comforting," he said sarcastically. Kova sniffed his hand, nudging at the bandages. "What are you doing?" he murmured mostly to himself, flexing his fingers. Kova looked back at Keith, ear twitching. Keith glanced up at Narti, examining her face. "How can you see me?" 

_Kova._ Keith was taken aback. He looked down at Kova, frowning. "That... explains a lot..." Kova was watching him again, and now that he knew Narti could see him through the cat, it quite honestly freaked him out a bit. _Lotor took him from Haggar for me so I could see._ Kova's ear flicked, as if he could hear Narti as well. Keith wonder briefly if he could. "So, Lotor's your pal then, huh?" 

Keith still didn't really hate nor like Lotor, but he held nothing against him. The man technically saved his life anyway. Keith did repay him by knocking him out of the way when the bombs went off during the Galra meeting many nights ago. Now that Lotor was on their side, Keith had to make sure nothing bad would happen to him. He had to with all his teammates. 

A frown appeared on his lips. If Narti and the other three were Lotor's generals - who seemed to do whatever he pleased - why did they split? Narti said she was working for Haggar, and since Keith has yet to see the other three with Lotor, then that means they're with Narti. He caught a glimpse of them during the Galra meeting, but didn't see where they went after the purple one saved his life. 

"Why did you guys split with Lotor?" He couldn't help but ask now. His head still felt foggy from the small trance Narti had him in so she could communicate. He felt at slight peace with the Galra even though she was taking him to his certain death and/or torture. _He..._ Her shoulders lifted, as if hesitating. _Haggar had put me under a spell to spy on Lotor, and he found out._

Keith furrowed his eyebrows, watching her lift one hand up to pull down the helm of her flight suit under her armor. A long scar traced over her jaw down into her neck. Keith blinked and noticed some color was scratched off of her armor. _He meant to kill me, but it knocked me out. Haggar found me and lifted me from the spell since it was no use._

Kova hissed lowly, ears flattening. Keith's frown deepened. "So- what, is this a revenge plan? To get back at Lotor?" _What do you mean?_ Keith curled his fingers into a fist, a small spike of pain floating over his palm. "Lotor attacked you and his generals left, so are you trying to get back at him?" _Get back at him?_ "He's with Voltron right now. He's working with your enemy."

Both Narti and Kova looked at him in surprise - well, mostly Kova since Narti didn't have a face. Keith didn't realize what he said until after the words came out. Narti leaned back a bit, her grip loosening on his hand. _Lotor is with Voltron?_ Keith swallowed the lump in his throat, now confused as well. "Where did you think he was? He killed Zarkon to take his place in the throne so Voltron and him could work together to free the universe." 

_Haggar told me he was on the run after taking the throne. I wasn't there at the meeting since I was working on tracking down the red paladin._ Keith sat in silence for a moment, his foggy mind trying to work the story out. "But why me? I have the least connection with Lotor." _I do not know, Keith._ He huffed and sat back, still confused. Why did Haggar want him, of all people? He interacted with Lotor once since he joined their side. He felt frustration build up. It's not that he would prefer someone else getting taken - no, he'd never want that - but why him? If Haggar wanted him to use against the Blade, that would make slightly more sense.

Narti dropped his hand, and Keith was yanked out of the light trance. He gritted his teeth when his head thudded with pain and the sudden change. His hand pulsed with pain, his fingers still digging into the palm. His body was starting to shake again from being ripped out of the trance so suddenly. Narti moved and cupped his head, the sounds around him toning down a bit. Then he was back in the trance, his shaking slowing. Kova hopped onto her shoulder, tail wrapping around her neck. Keith groaned when his muscles weakened, feeling Narti tilt his head up.

Narti brushed her thumb through his bangs, looking down at his dulled violet irises. She almost felt sorry for him. It really didn't make any sense to her either. She could hear Keith's thoughts the whole time, and now she's just as confused. Why does Haggar want him of all people? She knows already he's being used as a bargaining chip with Voltron, but she doesn't know what for. If it was to hand over the lions for Keith, she doubted it would work. Zarkon tried that once, she believes, and they worked around it easily. Voltron always seemed to find a way to keep Voltron and save whoever is on the line. 

Kova meowed softly to get her attention. Keith was stuck in a half-asleep state now, looking up at them in a daze. Narti snapped back to reality, her hands glowing a bit as she sent Keith off into a peaceful sleep, laying him back down on the ground. Narti stood back up and heading for her seat, noticing with slight dread they were almost to the ship. She shook her head and sat back down, focusing on finishing the mission.

 

Keith was woken up very harshly. Blood welled up in his mouth when he snapped his eyes open, head hanging over his chest. It took him a moment to realize the large Galra general in front of him, cracking her knuckles. He couldn't hear what they were saying at first, his brain slowly working to realize he's strapped to a table standing vertically on the ground. 

His jaw was grabbed in a tight grip, head jerked up to look at the giant Galra who punched him awake. Hell, she might've just slapped him. "He's awake now," she growled out, a smirk on her face.

"Zethrid! Why'd you hit him so hard?" Another female Galra trotted over, hands on her hips with a playful frown on her face. "You could've broken his pretty little face!" 

"So?" The female Galra named Zethrid scowled at the red one, dropping Keith's face. "It's not like we won't be beating him up anyway." 

"Our job right now is to make sure he stays alive until Narti is able to pull up a feed with Voltron." Keith looked up shakily, watching the purple half-Galra he's encountered multiple times walk over. "Haggar said not to touch him for now."

"Ugh, fine," Zethrid rolled her eyes, stepping away. The red one grinned at Keith, leaning down so her face was in front of his. "Aww, I remember you! You're the little red paladin that can fight with both hands." Keith glared at her, spitting blood onto her face. She jerked back a bit, closing her eyes when the blood hit her face. Zethrid snorted from where she stood out of Keith's line of view. 

"Ezor, you already managed to piss him off after one sentence," she laughed, turning for the door to check the hallway. Ezor huffed and wiped her face, eyes glinting.

"Hm, yeah, I did," she flicked the blood off her hand, grabbing Keith's jaw harshly. Keith flinched, feeling her claws dig into his face. "I'd watch it, little one," she growled out with a dangerous smirk. "I won't be stopping Zethrid later when Haggar gives us the cue."

"To do what?" Keith spat out, growling at her. She dropped his face and turned away to walk over to Zethrid. Keith gritted his teeth, tugging at the straps holding his wrists and legs. He huffed when he realized there was no way he could get out on his own. 

A shred of fear crossed over him. From the looks of it, these generals were going to torture him to death of something. Ezor said something about pulling up a feed with Voltron. Maybe this was a trade that Zarkon tried multiple times. Keith felt his heart drop - would they even try to risk saving him? They've had little communication on personal levels since Keith left. Shiro never once tried to ask how Keith was doing after Keith asked how the team was. Shiro was different. Hell, it seemed Lance was more comforting to Keith than Shiro was, which was not something Keith ever expected. 

Keith wondered how the others were. Was Lance still flirting nonstop with Allura? Was Hunk still trying to find new foods to make? Was Pidge still creating little gadgets to help the team? Was Allura still as commanding as usual? Was Coran still as boring as ever? Keith's lips twitched as he thought about the team. He'd never admit it out loud, but he loved those moments where nothing seemed wrong with the universe - where they could just sit back and laugh about stupid things that Lance did, or that Hunk accidentally destroyed in the kitchen. Keith could lean back and enjoy Shiro or Hunk's warmth whenever they all just relaxed after a long day training on the deck. 

His muscles relaxed, his mood sinking into a happier one. His mind stayed on his team, eyes slipping shut. He didn't even notice the hand holding the back of his neck, sending him into a soft trance. 

 

The ship was quieter than usual, Lance noticed. He didn't like it, and neither did Pidge. It's been hours since Shiro and Allura informed the team that Keith was taken on a Marmora rescue mission many hours beforehand. Lance didn't like it at all. Shiro was too calm with the fact Keith is out there in the Galra's grasp. Shiro hasn't even looked into a rescue mission. Sure, they didn't know where he was, but Pidge was still trying to locate him somehow.

Lance was standing in Keith's old room, looking over the plain design Keith always kept his room in. He was the only one that never decorated his room. Shiro had one or two things while Pidge had literally everything she owned in her room. Hunk had a few more than Shiro while Lance was in between. Keith had nothing, and he took nothing besides his Blade when he left. Lance frowned, pulling Keith's old jacket off the hook on the wall. 

The whole team missed Keith. It just wasn't the same. Lance missed their old bickering. Pidge missed the hidden interest Keith gave her when explaining new tech. Hunk missed baking for Keith since Keith liked strange types of food. Shiro missed him, definitely. He was basically Keith's brother. 

Red alarms blared overhead, shaking Lance out of his thoughts. He dropped Keith's jacket and shot out of the room for the control room. He got there at the same time as Hunk, finding the rest of the team there. As soon as they stepped foot into the room, a video feed popped up in front of Coran and Allura. Everyone widened their eyes at the sight of the Galra witch on the screen.

"Team Voltron," she drawled out, eyes narrowing to slits, "I have a proposal for you." The screen cracked a bit, almost cutting off completely. Hunk watched nervously, his entire being shaking. Lance set a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder, eyes focused on the screen. "I have captured the former red paladin, and I have many means to harm him." The air thickened with tension. She stepped aside, exposing the rest of the room she was in. 

In the middle of the room stood a large vertical table that held Keith by his arms and legs. His head hanged low, his whole body limp. Lotor's eyes went wide when he spotted his old generals in the room, but not just the three that betrayed him. Narti stood next to Keith, holding the back of his neck. "Narti..." he whispered. Lance glanced over at Lotor before back at the screen, narrowing his eyes. 

"If you want him back, you will hand over Lotor to me," Haggar said, stepping back into view. "Or your paladin will perish." She stepped back before turning around, walking slowly over to Keith. Narti lifted Keith's head up so his face was in view. The team took in how his eyes were glowing a dull yellow where the white should've been, looking dazed. Narti let go, and the dull yellow vanished. Keith gasped and his eyes went wide, his body beginning to shake. Lotor gritted his teeth, stepping forward to confront the witch, but he couldn't. 

Haggar raised her hand and dark purple energy blasted from her fingers, striking Keith. He screamed in pain, his back arching off the table with his head thrown back as far as it could go. Lance winced and looked away. Pidge covered her mouth, being shielded from the sight by Matt. "Stop this!" Allura shouted, eyes wide. The purple sparks disappeared, her hand lowering back into her cloak. Keith gasped and sobbed, twitching in pain. Narti grabbed him again, and his eyes glowed once more. He started to relax. 

"The more you wait, the more he suffers," Haggar hissed out, looking back at the camera. "Deliver him to planet Heliux, and you will get your red paladin back." The feed cut off entirely, leaving the room in silence. 

 

"Acxa, prepare a course for planet Heliux," Haggar hissed out, face shadowed by her hood. Keith could barely hear her. His body was still twitching, but he couldn't feel the pain. Narti looked over him, feeling tiny sparks of energy hit her hand. Kova was perched on her shoulder, ears flattened back. Keith looked at them dully, unable to form words. Narti could hear her friends talking, but she was focused on Keith. 

They were trading Keith in for Lotor? She didn't even know he was with Voltron. She wished Haggar never possessed her in the first place. Narti holds nothing against Lotor. He had to get rid of her before she gave them away. But the other generals had tried to turn him in, so it wasn't surprising they were working for the empire now. Well, Haggar really, if Lotor is the emperor. 

But Narti is okay, so why are they still against him? She knew that the team might throw Lotor to save their paladin, but what will Haggar do to him? Narti turned her head a bit as if she was looking at Kova. Kova looked back at her, ears flattening. If Haggar got a hold of Lotor, the universe would crumble back to where it all started before Voltron came back. Lotor doesn't want the universe to be ruled under what Zarkon had, and if Haggar got her way, that's exactly what would happen. 

The rest of the night was hell for Keith. Every time a feed was pulled up with Voltron, he was attacked by Haggar's energy, sending his body into a twitching mess. He couldn't think or form any words. He could barely see the faces of his old team watching and yelling at Haggar to stop. Keith barely remembers Zethrid ripping open his suit, his skin bubbling with blood. Over and over again - only when Haggar wanted to update the paladins on what she was doing to him to get them to turn Lotor in. 

Narti could only watch from afar. Kova had his eyes on the screen, preferring not to watch Keith being tortured. Narti could see Lotor standing by the yellow paladin, eyebrows furrowed and teeth gritted. She could tell he didn't know what to do. The others were the same - they couldn't just turn Lotor over. 

Haggar made the last threat - once they land on Heliux, they had an hour before she kills Keith on the spot and will leave his body for them to find. Ezor was giggling at the idea. Kova growled lowly, his ears perked up. Keith had passed out from blood loss it seemed, his biceps and chest covered in the warm substance. Zethrid's claws didn't go too deep, but if they did, he probably would already be dead. 

They landed on Heliux - the Castle of Lions was no where to be seen. Acxa couldn't find them nearby either. Narti watched them silently, her claws tugging at her suit nervously. She didn't want Keith to get killed - he did nothing wrong. Kova knew what she was thinking, narrowing his eyes a bit. He pressed his cheek against her hooded head, his eyes darting over to Keith. Narti didn't want the universe to crumble, she wanted whatever Lotor thought best. The others may not think the same, but she was still loyal to the Galra that saved her life. 

She had to be careful. The others were still in the room with her, but they weren't paying Keith any attention. Kova padded quietly over to the control panel, eyeing Ezor carefully. She was discussing with Acxa about something Haggar was planning that didn't quite catch Kova's ears. He brushed past them swiftly, hopping up onto the panel. He easily found the button he was looking for, pressing down on it. 

The table hissed and the straps snapped open. Before Keith could hit the ground, Narti caught him silently. She turned and pressed her back to the back of the table out of view, holding Keith securely to her chest. Kova looked over at the others, watching Zethrid turn and look at the sound of hissing. 

"What the- Where did he go?!" she shouted, gaining the other two's attentions. Acxa cursed and turned to the panel Kova abandoned seconds before, pulling up cameras around the ship. Kova quickly bounded over to Narti then for the doors towards the back. Narti heaved Keith over her shoulder and followed, narrowly escaping Ezor's line of view. 

Narti escaped to the escape pods, setting Keith down on the ground so she could type in the destination on the pod. Keith grunted and slowly came to, looking up at her in confusion. He couldn't see her clearly. He gritted his teeth and pressed a hand over an open wound on his chest, puffing and slipping down onto his side. 

Hooking up a distress signal onto the pod, Narti leaned down and pulled Keith up. The pod hissed open, allowing her to set Keith inside comfortably. He took a deep breath and began to relax again when her hands glowed on his arms. _You're going to be okay. Go and save the universe._ her voice filtered in his head. He couldn't help but chuckle a little. "I'll try..." 

The pod hissed shut, shook, then shot out into space. The screen fizzed and became covered by another layer, shutting the pod into darkness for a moment before a soft pink glow surrounded him. He swallowed thickly, feeling blood slowly ooze over his fingers. He cursed softly and lifted his other hand to pull up the monitors on the screen. His location was set to Heliux's moon, and a distress signal was being sent out. His lips twitched up, closing his eyes. "Didn't see that coming..." 

 

Pidge and Lance set out to find the distress signal coming from Heliux's moon. Shiro and Allura were still trying to find a course of action towards the trade. Lance was frustrated. He didn't care what they did as long as Keith was saved. Pidge and Hunk thought the same. Pidge had been working on possibilities with Matt on what to do. Shiro didn't seem the slightest bit worried about the situation. Lance almost yelled at him when he said Keith could find his way out on his own. 

Allura was the one to send the two off to find the signal. They were within range in case it was an ambush. Pidge flew the Green Lion down onto the moon, tracking down the location the signal sat at. Lance leaned against the back of her seat, sighing heavily. "Man, this sucks." Pidge hummed, not looking back at him. "I didn't think Keith would get caught up in this kind of mess."

"Well, he's human," Pidge paused. "Well, fifty percent human." Lance snorted, almost losing balance when Pidge landed Green. After checking the oxygen levels of the moon, Lance pulled out his bayard and stepped out into the humid atmosphere coming from the moon's surface. He breathed in the warm air, his body already uncomfortable from the humidity. Pidge followed suit, bayard at the ready as she and Lance made their way closer to the pod sitting on the ground in front of them. "Looks like someone's trapped in there," she huffed, setting a hand over the pod. 

The cover dissolved and exposed the inside of the pod. Both paladins' eyes went wide at the sight of Keith inside the pod - passed out and bleeding. Lance shrieked a bit, noticing how pale Keith looked. "Oh my- Hold on!" The two managed to open the screen separating the two from him, lifting him out of the pod. Lance winced when he saw dried blood covering Keith's chest and arms. "We got to contact the others," Lance said, lifting Keith over his shoulder. 

Pidge nodded and ran for her lion. Lance followed suit, moving towards the back of the cockpit where the med kit was. Pidge pulled up a feed with the team, but Lance didn't listen. He grabbed a rag from the kit and wet it down, moving to wipe away the dried blood so he could see the wounds. Keith flinched under him, his eyes snapping wide open. He cried out and almost punched Lance off of him. Lance snatched his wrist and covered his mouth, making sure Keith could see his face. "Shh shh, it's okay. It's Lance. You're okay now." 

Keith whimpered softly but calmed down. Lance noticed his body was shaking a bit, but let go of Keith to continue cleaning his wounds. Keith hissed lightly, squeezing his eyes shut. "Never expected you to save me," he muttered after a moment, drawing a small laugh from Lance. 

"If you keep getting into situations like that, then I might have to," he joked, eyes crinkling a bit. A grin twitched onto Keith's face. The cockpit shook when the lion landed again. Pidge jogged over, helping Lance pull Keith to his feet. "Hold on, buddy. You'll be okay." 

Hunk was the first to get to them. He almost hugged the rest of the blood from Keith's body. Pidge had to pry him off so they could get Keith into a cryo-pod. 

When Keith came out a few hours later, Hunk actually almost broke his spine in a bone-crushing hug. Allura sent out a message to the Marmora that they found Keith. Pidge whined about Keith going back, and actually held his legs when he just wanted to head to his room. Since his entire suit was destroyed, he had to put on his old clothes. It was as if he wasn't going to leave again. 

But for the rest of the night, Keith decided he'd stay to let his body settle. He was still shaken from the torture and sudden rips from the trances he was put in. He just wanted to calm down, or he might actually break down in the Marmora.

Nobody in the team complained - not even Shiro, Lance noticed. Allura and Lotor went off to discuss plans on dealing with Haggar and the generals. Coran had left with Pidge to work on some new tech she was designing with Matt. Hunk was sitting in the lounge with Keith against his side, giggling as he told stories of the team that happened while Keith was gone. Shiro was only slightly listening, scrolling through some new intel with the coalition. Lance sat beside Keith, happily braiding Keith's hair after he got permission - which took forever. 

"Ow- can you not tug on my hair?" Keith scowled, ducking his head out of Lance's grip. Lance pouted and resumed his braiding. 

"Well, stop moving so much."

"This feels weird," he complained. 

"Have you never styled your hair?"

"I'm not a girl!" 

"Hey, boys style their hair!" 

"Maybe you do, but I don't!"

Hunk rolled his eyes, sitting back as he watched the two bicker. Keith puffed his cheeks out in frustration and started unbraiding the side Lance already finished, receiving a shriek of protest from Lance. 

"Ugh, I'm going to bed," Keith finally grumbled out after undoing his hair. Lance whined and trapped Keith in a hug. Hunk followed suit. "Guys! Come on - I'm tired!" 

"But we didn't get enough Keith time," Hunk pouted, holding Keith close. "You've been gone for months." Keith sighed and leaned against Hunk, patting Lance's head. The two grinned when Keith caved.

"Are you guys seriously having a cuddle pile without me?" The three looked up to see Pidge at the door. "i feel so betrayed."

"Get over here, gremlin!" Lance grinned, shrieking when Pidge jumped on top of him. Keith laughed lightly, letting Pidge squirm into his arms against Hunk. Lance muttered darkly under his breath and moved around to flop against Hunk's back, burying his face in his shoulder. Keith's heart bubbled with warmth, relaxing in Hunk's hold. He really did miss this. 

Pidge and Hunk started babbling about tech again, mostly arguing about what was better and what wasn't. Keith shared an amused look with Lance before nuzzling into hunk's chest, closing his eyes. Lance played with his hair lazily, commenting on some of the things Hunk and Pidge said from time to time. Keith felt at peace, slowly drifting off into sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> this was stupid and rushed but oh well fuck it


End file.
